In This Issue
	What's New 2004 Predictions for the E-Learning Industry High Impact Distance Learning: Online MBA Case Study Rapid E-Learning Certificate Program

2004 Predictions for the E-Learning Industry

Here is a brief portion of our 2004 Predictions. Click below for the full article. We would like to hear your predictions for the coming year. Email us and we'll publish the most interesting predictions from our readers in next month's newsletter. The LMS Market will grow and at least one other vendor will merge. We believe the LMS market will continue to grow by 20% or more. Peoplesoft, Oracle, and SAP will emerge as viable LMS providers with solid references. By the end of 2004, these ERP vendors will have created enough pressure on the market for at least one other major vendor to merge. Rapid E-Learning will become a red-hot market. The tools for Rapid E-Learning will grow quickly (Macromedia Breeze, Articulate, i-Canvas, RoboDemo, Live e-learning tools) and PowerPoint plugins will proliferate. SME-authored content will become a big topic and companies will struggle to implement SME- authoring processes. Macromedia will likely buy one other company and continue to dominate the tools market. Blended Learning will continue to grow. Companies will adopt blending techniques in a bigger and bigger way. The term "blended learning" will evolve from instructor-led training with e-learning added to a mix of a wide variety of technologies and media. New blended learning platforms will emerge (and we know of one now you should look at.) Live e-learning will mature and one or more vendors will merge. The "Live E-Learning" market (Centra, Interwise, Macromedia, Placeware/Microsoft, Webex) will continue to grow but Microsoft, Webex, and Macromedia will start to dominate the market, making it more difficult for smaller vendors. Companies will implement these systems as part of their corporate infrastructure, not only as training-specific systems. One or more smaller vendors will consolidate. New offerings will be available based on Breeze Live and other flash-based solutions, some from telecommunications providers. Click here for the full article... »

High Impact Distance Learning: Online MBA Case Study

In 1998 the W.P. Carey School was charting new territory in its learning efforts by planning a completely online MBA curriculum. This venture necessitated a new technology infrastructure that could support the needs of students dispersed throughout the country and across international borders. After evaluating its needs and looking at a number of alternative solutions, the School chose Blackboard as its LMS vendor and e-learning technology partner. The School had been working with Blackboard since close to the company's inception and it was important that its technology partner have a solid track record. The team developed a five-year plan for its e-learning strategy and has worked closely with Blackboard over this time period to achieve its goals. Today the W.P. Carey School of Business has a nationally recognized Corporate Online MBA Program. Its corporate partners are sending increasing numbers of students through the curriculum. The success is due in large measure to the effort that the Program team has put into the curriculum. Over considerable time and with continued process improvements, the Corporate Online Program has achieved effective transfer of knowledge by honing its infrastructure and its processes so that true learning can be achieved without the technology getting in the way. Learn more about this online MBA program... »

Rapid E-Learning Certificate Program

In our fast-paced business environment, there are an increasing number of critical business situations that require and immediate response. Simple communication methods are not enough! Knowledge and skills need to be transferred to employees, suppliers and even customers within weeks of major company events. Trigger events may include an acquisition of a company, a product launch, a ruling on a major lawsuit, and many more. In many cases, Rapid E-Learning is the right solution in these situations. Rapid E-Learning is an exciting new category of e- learning that enables you to build powerful, effective e- learning programs in weeks, not months. The premise behind rapid e-learning is that "time to build" and "time to learn" are as important as instructional quality. Bersin & Associates is offering a new blended course and certification on Rapid E-Learning. The classroom sessions will be taught at Training and Online Learning 2004, in Atlanta, March 1-4, 2004 by Jennifer De Vries, a seasoned training technologies veteran with over 15 years of development, launch and management experience. Most recently, Jennifer was responsible for IBM Software Group's e-learning strategy for the Lotus, WebSphere, Tivoli, DB2 and Rational brands. As part of your tuition you will receive a complete pass to the 3- day conference and all special events. If you are a training manager or instructional designer, this is the training event of the year! To learn more and register for this course, click here.... »